1. In 1636, Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, left the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded Providence on October 31. This day is now celebrated as Founder's Day in Rhode Island.

2. On October 31, 1776, the Hessian mercenaries hired by the British forces occupied Newport, Rhode Island, during the American Revolutionary War.

3. The first recorded snowfall in Rhode Island history occurred on October 31, 1792, causing widespread damage to crops and property.

4. In 1883, the infamous Edgar Allan Poe cottage in Providence, where Poe wrote some of his most famous works, was moved to 50 Berkley Street on October 31.

5. On October 31, 1926, the Narragansett Park horse-racing track in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, opened for the first time. It was a popular attraction until it closed in 1978.